david mesguich sculpts santa europa as a patron for refugees

david mesguich sculpts santa europa as a patron for refugees
all images courtesy of david mesguich

on a factory rooftop in toulouse, france, artist david mesguich has installed a large-scale sculptural installation called ‘santa europa’, which pays homage to the ongoing refugee crisis. made for the mister freeze urban art festival, the monumental polygonal figure is made from recycled plastic and reaches five meters in height. integrating into the surrounding architecture, mesguich has spray painted a grey halo onto the building behind the female bust, with eight white stars forming a semi-circular crown around her head; a chain fence pierces through her chest, pinning her to the background wall.

a chain fence pierces through her chest, pinning her to the background wall 

the sculpture intends to express the duality of opinions on the refugee crisis: while many countries in europe are actively accepting asylum seekers, others are putting up borders around them. ‘under iconic and feminine lines, this installation represents europe and its contradictions facing the drama of refugee families who try to reach her everyday risking their lives,’ mesguich says. ‘europe expresses — to great media reinforcement — solidarity towards migrants, and at the same time hastens to build fences on its borders that prevent them from reaching it.’

integrating into the surrounding architecture, mesguich has spray painted a grey halo onto the building 

eight white stars form a semi-circular crown around the figure’s head

the installation is positioned on a factory rooftop in toulouse, france

the polygonal portrait of ‘santa europa’ is illuminated at night 

the large-scale sculptural installation is named ‘santa europa’

the artist wanted to create a non-profit work in tribute to refugees

the monumental polygonal figure is made from recycled plastic and reaches five meters in height

the structure is built over a three-dimensional shell 

tape holds together the geometrical elements